Protective apparatus for workmen



Aug. 6, 1957 R. MALCOM. JR 2,801,420

' PROTECTIVE APPARATUS FOR woRKMEN Filed March 11, 1954 'a sheets-sheetL Aug. 6, 1957 R. MALCOM. JR

' y .PROTECTIVE APPARATUS FOR WORKMEN Filed March 11, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR l United States Patent t) PROTECTIVE APPARATUSFOR WORKMEN Robert Malcom, Jr., Chicago, Ill., assigner to Chicago EyeShield Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationMarch 11, 1954, Serial No. 415,484

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-9) This invention is directed to protective apparatusfor workmen including head pieces comprising hard hats, head bands andthe like for fitting the head of the Workman and face pieces comprisingface shields, goggles and the like for protecting the face of theworkman.

The principal object of this invention is to provide releasableconnecting means between the head pieces and the face pieces forinterchangeably connecting the various face pieces to the various headpieces. This allows any one of the face pieces to be utilized with anyone of the head pieces which is a `great convenience to the workman, andit also provides a substantial reduction in stocking and inventory withgreat pecuniary savings Where large numbers of such apparatus areutilized. The releasable connecting means is simple in construction,inexpensive to manufacture and readily and quickly operated. Theconnection between the face pieces and head pieces also includes pivotmeans so that the face pieces may be swung or tilted as desired duringtheir use.

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of constructionof the protective apparatus for workmen and in the cooperativerelationships between the component parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled inthe art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims anddrawings in which: .Figure 1 is a perspective View of a face piece inthe form .of a wire mesh face shield releasably connected to a headpiece in the form of a hard hat.

-Figure 2 is a perspective view of a face piece in the form of a weldersface shield releasably connected to a head piece in the form of a headband.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the connecting meansbetween the face piece and the head piece as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 4 4 ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 5-5 ofFigure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 6--6 ofFigure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a head piece in the form of a hardhat.

Figure S is a perspective view of a head piece in the form of a headband.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a face piece in the form of a weldersface shield.

Figure l() is a perspective view of a face piece in the form of a wiremesh face shield.

Figure ll is a perspective View illustrating a face piece in the form ofgoggles releasably connected to a head piece in the form of a head band.

The drawings illustrate various types of head pieces such as a hard hatgenerally designated at 1t) in Figures l, 3, 4 and 7, a head band asillustrated at 11 in Figures 2 and 8 and a head band as illustrated at12 in Figure 1l. 'I he drawings also illustrate various forms of facepieces 2,801,420l Patented Aug. 6, 1957 ICC such as a wire mesh faceshield 13 as illustrated in Figures 1, 3, 4 and l0, a welders faceshield 14 as i1- lustrated in Figures 2 and 9 and a pair of goggles 15as illustrated in Figure 11. These various face pieces, in accordancewith this invention, may be interchangeably and releasably connected tothe various head pieces.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 1, 3, 4 and 7, the hard hat10 includes a crown portion 17 and a brim portion 18, which may beformed of any suitable material such as a hardened synthetic plasticmaterial or compressed iiber or the like. The hard hat is provided witha head harness including a head band 19 and head straps 2o. The headstraps 2t) are looped at their ends as indicated at 21 and these loopsextend through slits 22 in the head band 19 and through clips 23, whichare detachably secured to the crown portion 17 of the hard hat. Theharness is adjustable so that the hard hat may be firmly supported onthe head of the workman.

A pair of members 25 are permanently secured to the crown portion 17 ofthe hard hat. Each of these members 25 includes a pair of offset andoutwardly facing diverging legs 26 and 27, these legs being spaced fromthe crown portion 17 of the hard hat. The lower ends of these diverginglegs 26 and 27 terminate in lugs 28 and 29 which act as stops. A leafspring 36 provided with a cam projection 31 is located between theoffset diverging legs 2d and 27. The leaf spring 30 is securedl to themember 25 and the member 25 is secured to the crown portion 17 of thehard hat by means of rivets 32.

The face piece 13, in the form of a wire mesh face shield, asillustrated in Figures l, 3, 4 and 10, includes a visor portion 35provided with a securing rim 36 to which a wire mesh screen 37 issecured by screws 38. The wire mesh screen 37 may be provided with areinforcing fiange 39. A pair of brackets 40, each having a square hole41 are secured to the securing rim 36 by rivets 42. A member 43 has asquared end 44 which is received in the square hole 41 of the bracket 40and it is provided at its other end with a flange 45. It is alsoprovided with an internal hole having flat portions 46. A liber washer47 abuts against the outer surface of the bracket i0 and is backed by ametal washer 48 which in turn is engaged by a head 49 of a screw 50.Thus, the member 43 is secured to the bracket 4t) and is secured againstrotation. A member 51 having iiat surfaces is received in the member 43and by reason of the flat surfaces, rotation betweenthe members 51 and43 is prevented. The member 51 is provided with a ange 52. A spring 53is received in the member 51 and is backed by a nut 54 screwed onto thescrew 50. One leg of a U-shaped bracket 55 is located between theflanges 45 and 52 of the members 43 and 51 and liber washers 5o and 57are mounted on each side of that leg of the U-shaped member. The partsare all clamped together by the nut 54 acting on the spring 53. These'overl-ranging ears 58 and 59 and a cam recess 6i) betweenv the ears. Inreleasably connecting the member or bracket 55 and, hence, the facepiece to the member 25 carried by the head piece, the diverging legs 26and 27 arerreceived in the diverging overhanging ears 58 and 59 andV thecam projection 31 on the leaf spring 30 is receivedin the cam recess 60on the member 55. The diverging legs 26 and 27 and the diverging ears 58and 59 secure the two members 25 and 55 together and they are releasablyheld in this position by the cam projection31 acting. in the cam recess60. The lugs 28 and 29 operate tov limit the relative movement betweenthe members 25 and 55. 'In this way -the parts are securely connectedtogether so that the face piece `is firmly held upon the head piece. Torelease this connection all that is necessary is to separate the membersand 55 against the laction of the leaf spring and this may be readilydone merely by-eXerting adequate force for this purpose. Accordingly,the connecting means between the `face piece 1-3 and the head vpiece 10includes frictional pivot means for permitting pivoting of the facepiece with respect to the head piece and releasable connecting means forreleas'ably connecting the face piece to the head piece.

Referring nowto Figure 8, the head piece is shown in the form of anadjustable head band having its ends received in a sleeve 66, the endsbeing adjustably clamped together in the sleeve 66 by a vclamping nut67. A trans` verse band 68 'may be connected across the head band 65'.The head band 65 'carries a pair of members 25 which may be secured inplace thereon by rivets. The members 25 are the Same as the members 55secured to the hard hat -10-and operate in the same manner.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 9, the face piece is shown in the form ofa welders face shield 14 having a shield 70 formed of compressed liberor the like which in turn is provided with a sight window 71. The faceshield 70 may also carry a chin rest 72. A pair of U-shaped brackets ormembers 55 are pivotally secured to the face piece 14 in the mannerdescribed above in connection with Figures 3 -to 6. This U-shaped member55 is the same as that described above and operates in the same manner.Figure 2 illustrates the welders face shield 14 releasably connected tothe head band 11, but it may :also be secured to the hard hat 10, if sodesired. Likewise the face shield 13, if desired, may be releasablyconnected to the head band 11 instead of the hard hat 10.

Referring now to Figure 11, the face piece is illustrated as taking theform of a pair of goggles 15 which may be utilized for Welding, chippingor the like. These goggles may take the form of the goggles illustratedin R. L. Malcom Patent No. 2,502,162. They include a pair of lens boxes`'connected together by a bridge member 76 and provided with suitablelenses 77. Temples 78 secured to the klens boxes 75 are slidablyreceived in tubes 79 which in turn are pivotally connected as indicatedat 80 to a pair of brackets 55. These brackets 55 are the same as thebrackets 55 discussed above and function in the same manner. Here, thehead band 12 is the same as the head band 11 described :above with theexception that the cross piece is omitted. Accordingly, like referencecharacters for like parts have been utilized. The head band 12 carries apair of members 25 which are the same as those described above andoperate in the same way. Accordingly, the goggles 15 are pivotally andreleasably connected to the head band 12. In accordance with thisinvention the goggles 15, if so desired, may bereleasably connected tothe hard hat 10 or the head band 11.

While for purposes of illustration one basic form of this invention hasbeen illustrated, other forms thereof may become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure and, therefore,this invention should be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a protective face piece for a workman, a head piecefor holding said face piece on the workmans head, 4and cooperatingconnecting means on said lface and head pieces for releasably connectingthe same together, said cooperating connecting means comprising a firstmember secured to one of said head and face pieces and having a pair ofoutwardly facing diverging legs spaced from said one piece, a secondmember secured to the other of said head and face pieces and having apair of diverging and opposed inwardly facing overhanging ears, a leafspring provided with a cam projection secured to one of said membersbetween said diverging portions thereof and confronting the other ofsaid members, said other member having a cam -recess between saiddiverging portions thereof and located opposite the cam of said leafspring, and the arrangement being such that the diverging legs of thefirst member are received in the diverging overhanging ears of thesecond member and the `cam yprojection of the leaf spring is received inthe cam recess for releasably connecting together the two members andhence the head piece and the face piece.

2. In combination, a protective face piece fora workman, a head piecefor holding said face piece on the workmans head, and cooperatingconnecting means on said face and head pieces for releasably connectingthe same together, said cooperating connecting means comprising a firstmember secured to one of said head and face pieces and having a pair ofoutwardly facing diverging legs spaced from said one piece, a secondmember secured to the other of said head and face pieces and having apair of diverging and opposed inwardly facing overhanging ears, a leafspring provided with a cam projection secured lto one of said membersbetween said diverging portions thereof Iand confronting the other ofsaid members, said other member having a cam recess between saiddiverging portions thereof and located opposite the cam of said leafspring, the arrangement being such that the diverging legs of the lirstmember are received in the diverging overhanging ears of the secondmember and the cam vprojection of the leaf spring is received in the camrecess forreleasably connecting together the two members and hence thehead piece and the face piece, and said head and 4face pieces beingrespectively adapted to be selectively connected to other differenttypes of face and head pieces having complementary connecting means likesaid above-mentioned connecting means.

3. In combination, a protective face piece for a workman, a head piecefor holding said face piece on the workmans head, and cooperatingconnecting means on said face and head pieces for releasably connectingthe same together, said cooperating connecting means comprising a lirstmember secured to one'of said head and face pieces and having a pair ofoutwardly facing diverging legs spaced from said one piece, a secondmember secured Vto the other of said head and face pieces and having apair of diverging and Opposed inwardly facing overhanging ears, a leafspring provided with a cam p'rojection secured to one of said membersbetween said diverging portions thereof and confronting the other ofsaid members,'said other member having a cam recess between saiddiverging portions thereof and located opposite the cam of said leafspring, the arrangement being such that the diverging legs of the iir'stmember are received in the diverging overhanging ears of the secondmember and the cam projection of the leaf spring is received in the camrecess for releasably connecting together the two members and hence thehead piece and the face piece, the member connected to said face piecealso including a pivot lforming means between the member and the facepiece which pivotally mounts the face piece for movement up over thehead piece, and said head and face pieces being respectively adapted tobe selectively connected to other different types of face and headpieces having complementary connecting means like said above-mentionedconnecting means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.20,790 Bowers July 12, 1938 1,709,144 Mueller Apr. 16, 1929 2,239,978Sanford Apr. 29,-1941 2,447,083 Moeller Aug. 17, 1948 2,536,467 RuggieroJan. 2, 1951

